The Meaning of Banggai
August 7, 2015 President Jokowi traveled to the Banggai Regency in central Sulawesi this week to inaugurate the $5.8 billion “Pertamina Mega Integrated Project”, which is planned to match the […]
Idul Fitri Reshuffle
June 30, 2105 The serious Cabinet reshuffle rumors began in June: in Indonesia, they are part of the air one breaths. An underwhelming economic performance would prompt President Jokowi to […]
Soekarno’s Echo
Indonesia’s first President became so frustrated with the “West” that he famously declared ” go to hell with your aid”. A combination of the Cold War and misjudgments of Soekarno’s […]
Backing Away From the Dollar
We are starting to see the glimmer of a new strategy for how Indonesia wants to do business and it may have less to with the US dollar. Foreign exchange […]
The Value Added State
President Jokowi is likely to travel to the US for his first official visit to Washington in early June. President Obama no doubt wants to hear Indonesia’s President describe his […]
Outlook for 2015: Cautious Optimism
Commentary by Wayne Forrest Since taking office in October President Jokowi has not waited for Parliament, using his executive powers to reset Indonesia’s course. He is turning out to be […]
Parliament Votes to End Direct Elections: Twists and Turns
Politics in Indonesia is about to become a whole lot more interesting. Late last Friday while President SBY was in DC –after addressing the UN Global Climate Change Summit in NY–Indonesia’s […]
Where Are The Technocrats ?
I have been watching the rupiah flirt with 12,000, remembering 1998 time when it dropped from 2400 to 15,000, and the long period in 2010 and 2011 when it was […]
Bima vs Puntadewa
CEO Notes Bima Puntadewa Indonesia’s Presidential campaign has now kicked off in earnest and although the […]
Edward Masters: (1924-2014) Built to Last
The passing of Ambassador Edward Masters in March sent a twinge of sadness through many of us. He taught us many things by his actions as much as his words. […]